The Apex Index

The traditional fuel-burning part of an F1 power unit: a 1.6-litre, six-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. In 2026 it remains, but it now provides only about half the car's total power. The other half comes from the electric system.

An electric motor-generator connected to the drivetrain. It harvests energy when the driver brakes (converting braking force into electricity stored in the battery), and deploys energy when the driver accelerates (adding power to the wheels). For 2026 it's been beefed up to handle roughly three times as much energy as before.

The component that used to harvest energy from exhaust gas heat in earlier hybrid F1 cars. Removed for 2026, because it was considered too complex and not relevant to road-car technology.

The collective name for all the electric components in an F1 power unit: the battery, the control electronics, and the MGU-K. The system that captures energy from braking and lift-offs and reuses it as extra power.

The 2026 target where roughly half the car's total power comes from the petrol engine and the other half from the electric system. A major shift from previous years, when the electric contribution was a smaller boost on top of the engine.

Running the engine at slightly less than maximum power while harvesting electrical energy at the same time. Lets the car top up the battery during a flat-out lap without significantly losing top speed. The FIA targets a super-clip window of about 2-4 seconds per lap.

Energy harvesting that happens when the driver lifts off the throttle without braking. The MGU-K acts as a generator, slowing the car slightly while topping up the battery. Common through medium-load corners.

A manual control the driver presses to deploy a burst of stored electrical power. Unlike Overtake Mode (which is proximity-triggered), Boost is at the driver's discretion. From Miami 2026 onwards, the boost is capped at +150 kW in race conditions.

The general term for the act of harvesting energy back into the battery, whether through braking, throttle lift, or super-clipping. The maximum permitted recharge per lap was reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ from Miami onwards.

From 2026, all F1 cars run on fuels made either from non-food biomass (waste material) or as e-fuels (synthesised from atmospheric CO₂ and hydrogen). Part of F1's roadmap to net-zero carbon by 2030.

A proximity-triggered power boost introduced in 2026 that replaces DRS as the primary overtaking aid. When a driver is within one second of the car ahead at a detection point, they get +0.5MJ of extra electrical energy to use on the next lap. Peak power available rises to 350 kW, available all the way up to 337 km/h before tapering.

A pit-stop tactic where you pit BEFORE the car you're chasing, so you can use fresh, faster tyres to set quicker lap times. By the time the opponent pits, you've gained enough through-the-air time that you emerge ahead of them.

The opposite of an undercut. You stay out LONGER than your rival, hoping their fresher tyres degrade enough that you maintain your lead when you eventually pit. Works best when track conditions favour older tyres, or when traffic clears late.

A short qualifying session held on Friday at Sprint weekends. It sets the grid for Saturday's Sprint race only. Separate from the main Qualifying session, which sets Sunday's race grid.

A short race (roughly 100km, no mandatory pit stops) held on Saturday at six weekends of the season. Points are awarded for the top 8 finishers. Sprint weekends compress the Friday practice schedule to make room for the Sprint Shootout.

A penalty added to a driver's race time by the stewards. Common values are 5 seconds (minor infraction, e.g. crossing the pit-exit white line), 10 seconds (mid-level, e.g. causing a collision), and 20 seconds (serious, e.g. repeated track-limits violations). Stewards can also issue a drive-through (drive through the pit lane without stopping) or stop-go (stop in the pit lane for a set time with no team work allowed).

French for "closed park." A regulatory state that begins at the start of qualifying and ends when the car crosses the finish line on Sunday. Once a car is in parc fermé, teams cannot change setup or major components without permission from the FIA. The rule stops teams from running radically different setups in qualifying versus the race.

When a car is removed from the official classification entirely, usually due to a technical infringement (illegal floor, illegal fuel sample, etc.) or a serious sporting violation. Points are forfeited and the result moves on to the next-classified driver.

A penalty where the driver starts the race from the pit lane rather than their grid position. Happens when changes are made under parc fermé without FIA permission, or as a separate stewards' sanction.

The 2026 system where moveable front and rear wings change shape during a lap, controlled automatically by the engine maps. They open on straights (for low drag and high top speed) and close in corners (for high downforce and grip). Available all the time, on all cars, replacing the DRS system that was only usable when within one second of the car ahead.

The active aero configuration with wings open and flat. Minimum drag, allowing maximum top speed. Activated automatically on straights.

The active aero configuration with wings closed. Maximum downforce for cornering grip. Activated automatically entering and through corners.

Aerodynamic devices fitted behind the front wheels that push turbulent airflow INWARDS, towards the centre of the car. The opposite philosophy of the previous generation's "out-washing." The goal is to leave a cleaner wake behind the car so a following driver can stay close without losing front-end grip.

The deep channels under previous-generation F1 cars (2022-2025) that created ground-effect downforce by accelerating airflow under the floor. Removed for 2026. Floors are now flatter, with much of the downforce work shifted to a larger rear diffuser.

The aerodynamic device at the front of the car. In 2026 it's been simplified with fewer elements (the razor-like cascade is gone), and the "eyebrow" winglets above the front wheels have been removed. The new shape directs airflow inward rather than outward.

The underside of the car. The single biggest source of downforce on any modern F1 car. In 2026 it's 100-150mm narrower than the previous generation, and the deep Venturi tunnels have been removed in favour of a flatter design.

The upward-curving section at the rear of the floor. It accelerates air under the car as it exits at the back, creating a low-pressure zone that sucks the car onto the track. In 2026 it's much larger than before, to compensate for the removal of Venturi tunnels.

The previous overtaking aid (2011-2025) that opened a flap in the rear wing to reduce drag and increase straight-line speed. Available only to cars within one second of the car ahead, and only on designated straights. Replaced for 2026 by Active Aerodynamics (the mechanical successor) and Overtake Mode (the strategic successor).

Pirelli brings five dry-weather slick compounds, numbered C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest). At each race they nominate three of these compounds and rename them Hard, Medium, and Soft for that weekend. For example, Miami 2026 used C3/C4/C5 — the softest possible trio.

The three race-weekend nicknames for the three compounds Pirelli has brought, regardless of which actual C-grade they are. Hard wears slowest and goes longest. Soft is fastest but degrades quickly. Medium is the compromise. The actual rubber inside each varies from race to race.

The period during which a driver uses one set of tyres before pitting. A "21-lap stint on the medium compound," for example. A "long stint" is one that stretches close to the limit of the tyre's life.

Loss of tyre grip caused by the rubber overheating beyond its optimal working window. Affects lap times progressively, even before the tread physically wears out. A key factor on hot, abrasive circuits.

A heated cover that wraps around the tyres before they're fitted to the car, pre-warming them to optimal temperature. Without blankets, the first lap or two out of the pits would be on cold (and therefore low-grip) tyres.

Pirelli's two tread-patterned tyres for wet conditions. Intermediates are for damp tracks with no standing water. Full wets are for heavy rain with standing water on the surface.

The width of rubber that contacts the road. In 2026 the tread width has been reduced by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear, making the tyres noticeably narrower than the previous generation.

The minimum allowable weight of a 2026 F1 car, including the driver but not the fuel. Down from 800kg in the previous generation. The weight cut was achieved by shrinking the car's dimensions and components.

The distance between the front and rear axles. In 2026 the maximum has been reduced from 3.6m to 3.4m, making the cars 200mm shorter overall and noticeably more agile in slow corners.

The reinforced structure above and behind the driver's head, designed to protect them if the car flips upside-down. In 2026 the roll hoop must pass a vertical impact test at 20g of force, up from 16g in the previous generation. The change was made following the FIA's review after Zhou Guanyu's Silverstone 2022 crash, where the roll hoop detached.

The titanium loop fitted above the cockpit, surrounding the driver's head. Mandatory in all F1 cars since 2018. It protects the driver from debris (loose wheels, body panels) and from objects intruding into the cockpit during a crash. Widely regarded as the single biggest driver-safety innovation of the modern era.

A new feature for 2026. The nose is designed to crumple in TWO stages during a crash: the front absorbs the initial impact, and if the car spins and hits something else (a secondary impact), a separate crash structure behind the first remains intact. Addresses an issue in previous generations where one bad impact left no protection for a second.